| The Host | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Horror Express (1972) |
|
Original Publisher |
Gala Film Distributors |
|
Created by |
Eugenio Martín |
Origin[]
The host is a parasitic extraterrestrial intelligence composed entirely of energy, hailing from a distant galaxy that wound up on prehistoric Earth. Lacking a physical body and weak against light, it ended up possessing the mind of whatever animal it came in contact with, eventually winding up in the body of a primitive humanoid residing in what would eventually become Manchuria. However, the host's body ended up succumbing to freezing temperatures during the Plasticine Ice Age, keeping the body in frozen stasis for eons.
In 1906, the body was later uncovered during an expedition lead by British anthropologist Professor Sir Alexander Saxton, who had it shipped aboard the Trans-Siberian Express from Shanghai to Moscow for study in Europe. Upon defrosting, the host, still in possession of the preserved remains, escaped its crate and began going on a killing spree, attacking and acquiring passengers’ bodies in order to gain specific knowledge, enabling it to build a new spaceship.
Having learned of the entity's true nature, Saxton and Inspector Mirov have all the passengers take refuge in the break van to prevent it from infecting any further victims. Saxton discovers the creature's inability to use its powers under light and manages to blind it. The alien offers its knowledge of advanced technology and disease cures for a bargain, but Saxton refuses, leading it to resurrect its victims as zombies and attack him. Saxton and Wells manage to separate the van from the rest of the train, sending it down a gorge and destroying it in a fiery collision.
Powers & Abilities[]
The host takes control of whatever physical body it comes across and absorbs all the memories from the victim's brain to add to its own intelligence, deflating the cerebrum till its surface was small and smooth. Upon taking control of its prey, the suffer's eyes will glow red in complete darkness. Once the body is compromised, the being can then leap to another. It is also telepathic, being able to control the bodies of those it has already killed.
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Horror Express (1972)